For an easy case, literally just a few moments of gentle rubbing can be enough. For slightly more difficult cases, a day or two of applying small but frequent doses of rubbing will usually do the trick. An investment of about a half dozen miniature treatments per day, each about 2030 kneading strokes, can reduce the pain of the vast majority of trigger points.Rub how much? Massage each suspected trigger point for about 30 seconds. This is actually enough for many trigger points especially if you think that you have several that all need attention! Five minutes is roughly the maximum that any trigger point will need at one time, but there is not really any limit if rubbing the trigger point continues to feel good, you should certainly feel free to keep going.

Rub how often? As long as you arent experiencing any negative reactions, you should massage a key trigger point at least once per day, and as often as a half dozen times per day.

Tips and tricks for longer lasting trigger point release

Trigger point massage often provides only temporary relief. Here are some basic tips and tricks to help make it last as long as possible:

Treat only a few knots at a time, starting with the worst spots.

Use heat in conjunction with treatment.

Avoid fatiguing the muscle for about 24 hours after treatment.

Move and stretch the muscles after the release of each knot.

General Guidelines Roll on the foam roller/ball until you feel a trigger point or hot spot. Youll know you found one when it hurts. When you find a trigger point, stop and just rest on the foam roller for 10 to 20 seconds. Contrary to popular belief, its the pressure, not the rolling, that smooths fascia.

Avoidapplyingpressure on bones and joints. Just muscle.

Combine an abbreviated SMR with your regular warm-up on workout days. I like to focus on the spots that I have the most trouble with. Use one of your rest days to devote 30 to 45 minutes to SMR for your whole body.

Drink plenty of water after an intense SMR session.

FeetUsing Lacrosse Ball or Massage Ball

You can use a lacrosse ball for this exercise. 1. Start at ball of your foot. 2. Roll to your heel, stopping and applying pressure on any trigger points you find along the way. Dont forget to get the insides and outsides of your feet.

Soleus (Inner Calf)Using a Foam Roller

Put one leg on top of the foam roller with your other leg crossed on top. Roll up and down your inner-calf to find your hot spots. When you find a hot spot, stop and lift your butt off the ground with your hands to apply more pressure on your leg. In addition to applying steady pressure on your trigger points, you can also rock side-to-side on them.

Using Trigger Point Footballer

1. Place Footballer on the yoga block and your calf on the Footballer. 2. Place your other leg on top of the leg that youre treating. 2. Roll all the way down your calf to your heel and all the way up near your knee. Stop on any trigger points and apply downward pressure on them. 4. Rotate your leg in to really work that soleus muscle.

Using Lacrosse or Massage Ball

1. Place ball on yoga block, one leg on ball, and the other leg on top of the leg youre treating. Roll up and down leg to find trigger points. 2. When you find a trigger point, point your toe forward and hold for a few seconds. 3. Then point your toe back towards you and hold. Alternate between pointing forward and back a few times. 4. Dont forget to really work the inside of the soleus.

Gastrocneumius (Outer Calf)Using Trigger Point Footballer

Using Lacrosse or Massage Ball

You can do the same thing with a ball. When you find a hot spot, use your non-supporting hand to rock your leg back and forth on the ball. Its going to hurt, but its the good kind of hurt.

QuadsUsing Trigger Point Quadballer

1. Place the Quadballler just above your knee. 2. Lie down and prop yourself up on your forearms. Roll the Quadballer up and down your quad, stopping on any trigger points. Gently rock side-to-side. 3. In addition to rocking side-to-side on hot spots, bend your leg back at your knee. Hold for a few seconds. 4. Straighten your leg. Hold. Alternate bending and straightening your leg on your hot spots on your quad. You can do this with a foam roller too.

Hip AdductorsUsing Foam Roller

1. Start with foam roller near your knee on the inside of your thigh. 2. Roll up towards your groin, stopping on any trigger points. 3. With the foam roller, you can go higher up your adductor than you can with a Quadballer. Repeat on other leg.

IT BandThis is my favorite trigger point release exercise. If you run a lot, chances are youve experienced runners knee. Runners knee is caused by a tightening in yourIliotibial band, or IT band. The IT band is a thick band of fascia running on the side of your leg from your knee to your pelvis. Massaging your IT band can help loosen up tightness and prevent future injuries. Take it easy when youre first starting out rolling your IT band. Its going to hurt.

1. Were going to roll the foam roller up and down the side of our leg starting at the top of the hip and down to just above the knee. 2. Lean back on your arm and bend your non-treated leg for added support. Roll up and down IT band, stopping on any hot spots. 3. If you really want to dig into those trigger points, lift both legs off the ground. Grimace. 4. In addition to applying steady pressure on hot spots, rock side-to-side on them. Repeat on other leg.

1. Turn your body in so you really work the inner part of your IT band. 2. Turn your body out to work the outer part.

PiriformisThis is my other favorite area to work during SMR sessions. If you spend your day sitting down like most folks, your piriformis muscle is probably very tight. Giving your butt a deep massage with a foam roller or ball will helpalleviatesome of that tightness.

Using Foam Roller

1. Sit on the foam roller and shift all your weight to one side of your butt. Your piriformis is located near your hip joint. Youll know youve found it when it starts hurting so good. Cross your other foot over your knee. 2. Roll backwards and forwards to look for trigger points. Hold when you find them. Repeat on other side.

Using Lacrosse or Massage Ball

1. Place ball on piriformis. 2. Find hot spots on piriformis and hold. 3. To really dig into it, lift the knee up on the side that youre working. 4. Lower your knee like youre doing a butterfly stretch. Hold. Bring back up. Alternate between a down and up position.

1. Another way to work your piriformis with the ball is to straighten your leg out in front of you. 2. Maintaining a straight leg, bring your leg out to the side. Hold. Repeat on other piriformis.

Lats

1. Lay on your side with the foam roller beneath your lat near your armpit. 2. Work the roller down your side stopping and holding on trigger points. Dont go too far down, though! You always want to stay on muscle. 3. To really work those hot spots, rock back and forth on the foam roller. 4. Rotate until your face is looking up at the ceiling and roll up and down to work the lats closer to your spine. Repeat on other side.

Biceps

1. Lie on your stomach with your bicep resting on the foam roller. Work the roller up and down your bicep to find trigger points. 2. When you find a trigger point, rotate your arm in so that your thumb is pointing down. Hold. 3. Rotate your arm so that your thumb is pointing up. Hold. 4. Rotate your arm in and out like this for a few cycles. Repeat on other bicep.

Back/Trapezius

1. Place roller at base of spine. 2. Lean back. 3. Work your way up and down roller stopping on any hot spots. Be careful about applying too much pressure to your spine. 4. When the roller reaches your trapezius, arch your back and hold.

5. With the roller beneath your trapezius, give yourself a hug. Hold. 6. Lift your arms straight in front of you. Hold. Alternate between self-hugs and raising your arms.

Traps with a Lacrosse or Massage Ball

1. Place ball between the wall and upper part of your trapezius. 2. Turn your body away from the wall. 3. Roll back on ball until you find your hot spots. 3. Lift arm straight out. Apply pressure on hot spot. Repeat on other side.

5. Give yourself a hug. 6. Pull your arm on the side that youre working on the ball across your body with your other arm.

Chest

1. Place ball on pec and press down with both hands. 2. Roll ball around on pec until you find a hot spot and hold for a few seconds.

To apply more pressure on the ball you can use a yoga block.

Or you can place the yoga ball on the wall to get more pressure.

Deltoids (Shoulders)

1. Stand with your shoulder to the wall. Place massage ball between you and wall. 2. Roll deltoid on ball until you find trigger points. 3. Really focus on the front part of your shoulder.

1-2. Use a yoga block to apply more pressure.

Neck

1. Rest your neck on the foam roller, like youre using it for a pillow. 2. Turn your head to your right. 3. Then to your left. No need to apply pressure -your own bodyweight will suffice.

5. Shift your weight on to your right side. 6. Perform a slight bridge by lifting your hips off the ground. 7. Rotate all the way onto your side. 8. Take a nap. Just kidding. Hold for a few seconds and then repeat on the other side.

Big thanks to Damyko for taking the time to show us how to do some trigger point release. Another thanks to Jane Anderberg from Agility Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Denver for helping with the science.

Brett & Kate McKay

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